United Plans to Buy 20 Million Gallons of Biofuel Per Year

United Continental Holdings said that its subsidiary Continental Airlines today is operating the first U.S. commercial flight powered by advanced biofuels. Flight 1403, a Boeing 737-800, departs Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport at 10:30 a.m. for Chicago O’Hare International Airport, making United the first U.S. airline to fly passengers using a blend of sustainable, advanced biofuel and traditional petroleum-derived jet fuel.

“Today, roughly four months since the approval of hydroprocessed renewable fuels in commercial aviation, we are excited to see the deployment of these fuels on a domestic U.S. flight,” said John Heimlich., vice president and chief economist for the Air Transport Association of America (ATA).

Solazyme produced the world's first 100 percent algae-derived jet fuel for both commercial and military applications. United said that it has also signed a letter of intent with Solazyme to negotiate the purchase of 20 million gallons of jet fuel per year, derived exclusively from algae oil, for delivery as early as 2014.

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